And here we go ... we're on our way with the first ever rollcall! (Want to join us? Drop us a post!)

Athena and I welcome 11 intrepid souls (including ourselves), all ready to become the GURUs of the future. We start with 8 NEWBIEs, 2 STRIVERs and 1 ELDER - Degenerate, trailblazing the way for the rest of us. Rubybaby is not far off being a STRIVER - a status that really means business. Talking of whom, we have 2 STRIVERS, Sars27 and ItMattersMoreWhenTheresNoMoneyOnIt (did I spell that right :) ) both on 81 days a-piece.

Seeing as I am over 500 days I would be classed as a guru accordingly to your scale. I am far from such a title.

I can tell you now that I do not have the best life and it's nothing to do with how many days I have been gamble free or not .

I have no advice or indeed any insight to how you can reach my prestigious level. I'm sure everything will be better than it was because you haven't gambled for 300 days and can now proclaim yourself a guru.

I have to say, to be honest, your post did feel like a little Robf-shaped raincloud just passed overhead, stopped at this thread, and dumped a month's worth of rain!

Fortunately, I've been blessed with a rather large brolly :)

I'm sorry that you feel that the Guru description (a rhetorical device) didn't fit you. Hey - it's not compulsory :) I wrote those descriptions in context of comparing gambling to non-gambling. The contrast couldn't be greater in my opinion: gambling, especially the way we gamble, leads to comparative disaster and refraining, going GF, leads to comparative happiness.

Ah, but I think you're talking about life; that's a different matter. Life will throw at us what life does. Nothing we can do about that, unless it's in our control and we decide to make things better - or worse.

So, don't worry that the terminology doesn't suit you, Robf. I wish you well, and thank you for your post.

Being Gambling-Free means more time spent on more interesting pursuits. I've been clearing out some books, if anyone would like them. I'm only up to the As and Bs, but I'll have another clearout next week

‘Advantageous’ by Benny Fishall‘American Breakfast’ by Chris P. Bacon and ‘Pancakes’ by Mabel Sirrup‘Antibiotics’ by Penny Sillin‘Are You Dancing?’ by R. U. Asking‘Back Problems’ by Eileen Bent‘Bacteria’ by Mike Robes‘Beguiled’ by N. Tyesing‘Blushing’ by Rosie Cheeks‘Breakfast’ by Hammond Deggs‘Breath of Fresh Air’ by Hal E. Tosis‘Can you bricklay for me?’ by Bill Jerome Wall‘Broken Window’ by Eva Brick‘Bullfighting’ by Matt Adore

Good reads, every one of them :)

Seriously, though, there isn't nothing like a good book to dip into now and then. Something to escape to..!

"The contrast couldn't be greater in my opinion: gambling, especially the way we gamble, leads to comparative disaster and refraining, going GF, leads to comparative happiness." It's this myth I was trying to challenge with my post and tried to communicate being gamble free does not equate to happiness.

I can only talk from my experience but life is the exact reason for my gambling and the push to separate them as if they had no cause and effect is dangerous.

For me it comes down to this, is my life awful because I gamble or do I gamble because my life is awful?

For me it's the latter and everything I have seen from other people from the virtual to the real it's rarely the former.

I think people are thinking I don't approve of not gambling if you are a compulsive gambler. I'm not saying or trying to suggest that. I'm not planning on gambling nor do I want to see anyone else gamble here.

I think what prompted my post was something about this whole thread really rubs me up the wrong way. I don't care for these day count challenges but that's fine, I normally leave them to the people who do find them useful and don't comment on them. What's prompted me to comment here is the rather dubious connection between a abstinence based system of counting gamble free days with titles such as elders and gurus. These are all titles that people associate with knowledge, insight , growth, spirituality, being a teacher or master. These are weighty titles that are not easily earned and shouldn't be bestowed because you have gone a number of days without a bet. Spend a lifetime learning about addiction and helping people and you can if you felt like it,take the title of guru. Otherwise just leave this to what it is, a day count challenge that has nothing to do with any deeper understanding of the addiction we all face.

You might say why such hostility and negativity? I think it's important we don't make false idols of ourselves and other people and feel that's what this whole thread is promoting.

I admit this is my issue so I will keep out of this thread from now on and leave people to it.

I suppose your argument and the arguement for thes types of things are mutually exclusive and are not in the same sentence.

For example i am 7 days gamble free and I totally agree that abstience does not equal cure however in this time I am using this site and other resources to educate myself about this addiction. I am also setting goals for myself in my personal life to further my recovery (please see my post if you would like..in recovery diaries uploaded tonight). So when I see those that are X amount of days GF I do look up to them a tad as I think of how different my life could be in that time and if they can do it...it can be done.

At the same time I am a social worker and longevity in my chosen career is seen to be one of great value, we see social workers 10 years + as gurus and those 20 years + as elders however this does not equate good practice (trust me!!)

Soooooo I get you but at the moment I am clutching at anything to hold me accountable for my actions until I can figure this s**t out for myself.

Thank you for cutting to the chase this time, pulling back the curtains with a showman's flourish, as it were, to let us know what really "grinds your gears". Always your perogative, of course!

I agree your opening sentence: I don't want to gamble and see other people gamble, either.

You talk about 'count challenges' in general and say they don't float your boat. Fair enough, fair dinkum, RobF; we all have, or are trying to find, different ways to control this insidious addiction: so, whatever soothes your soul.

You then get to the crux of the matter; the naming convention that's being used for the valiant souls who have attained 100 days or more gambling free - Elders and Gurus. You don't like 'em.

As Xenedra alludes in her excellent post above, these titles are not bestowed literally. Yes, the dictionary definitions most certainly point to the wisdom, insight and spirituality of these words if we are taking them literally, but - we're not. We don't.

They are rhetorical devices, a bit of fun but with a serious intent, to help inspire those of us that are trying to build up a long string of gambling-free days. They are, I like to think, interesting names marking hard-won targets; a bit more evocative than 100-days or 300-days (the non-linear gaps chosen, by the way, to make the earlier stages easier to climb to help maintain resolve).

And that's all it is, Robf. Yes, I appreciate it's not your cup of cocoa (loud and clear!) but others may respectfully disagree, or, indeed, agree. I really don't mind.

All I care about, and all we care about on this challenge, is fostering a spirit of positivity and togetherness to help aspire as many gambling-free days for us as we can; hopefully - whisper it - forever. It's but one of oodles of different ways people may wish to try - whatever helps.

As you say, why the hostility and negativity (you said it). I don't think anyone for a single moment is going to think of themselves as a false idol and I would say can easily understand the context. But here's a chance, Robf, to offer constructive criticism - do you have alternative 'titles' or names that could be used instead? I'm sincerely all-ears.

Thank you, in your conclusion, for making clear that this issue was your "beef" all along, and, as always, I wish you well. Let's hope we have both found our final exchanges carthertic and now move on - there's bigger fish to fry, like tomorrow and making sure it's gambling free (regardless of whatever else life may throw at us, or give to us).